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County Waits On Buyout Demolition

Time is ticking for the demolition of the three remaining Barnes County properties bought out by FEMA following the 2009 flood.

The county commission met Friday morning to approve an agreement giving the contractor hired for the demolition an extra two weeks to tear down three houses. Plecity’s Excavating, LLC, of Valley City, has until Oct. 15 to demolish the properties. The county’s deadline with FEMA to have the work completed is Nov. 1.

“We just don’t have any wiggle room,” said Commissioner Rodger Berntson.
“If we start messing with FEMA, it really messes us up if we’re not done in time. In this case, we don’t have any more extensions available.”

The scope of work varies slightly between the three houses, but all structures, sidewalks and driveways will be demolished, material hauled away, and the ground graded and seeded into grass. The county will pay Plecity’s Excavating $37,454 for the entire project: $14,210 for 11708 40M St. Southeast, Valley City; $15,710 for 1015 11th St. Southwest, Valley City; and $7,534 for 4515 Barnes County Road 21.

Payment will be made seven days after completion of the scope of work to the county, and after inspection by the South Central Dakota Regional Council, which acted as the county’s FEMA applicant agent.

If the contractor fails to complete the scope of work, Plecity’s Excavating will be liable to the county for all penalties assessed by FEMA for not making the Nov. 1 deadline.

“If it becomes a problem – if we have a problem with FEMA – then (the contractor) is going to have a big problem,” said Commissioner John Froelich.

The demolition will be the last of the county’s FEMA buyouts for the 2009 flood, but the county is still working on the 2011 buyouts. Berntson said work on the 1999 FEMA buyouts had not been completed until last year.